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CrimeQuiet 9d · day 14

Vermont man on trial for 2023 shooting of three Palestinian students; claims CIA ordered attack

Jason Eaton, 51, pleads not guilty by reason of insanity in the November 2023 shootings that left one victim paralyzed.

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What to know

  • Jason Eaton is on trial for three counts of attempted second-degree murder in the November 2023 shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington, Vermont; each count carries a potential life sentence.
  • Eaton's defense rests on an insanity claim: his attorney argues he was suffering from a delusional disorder and believed the CIA and Mossad were transmitting orders via radio after he lost his job. The prosecution contends he was sane and intended to kill the victims.
  • The shooting occurred just weeks after the October 2023 Hamas attack and triggered immediate speculation about hate crimes, though prosecutors ultimately said insufficient evidence supported hate crime charges.
  • All three victims—now 23—unexpectedly testified at trial, describing the shooting in vivid detail; Awartani remains paralyzed from the chest down.

“If the defense tries to focus on the story that Mr. Eaton tells about why he intended to kill these three young men, that story is only part of the whole picture”

Sally Adams, Prosecutor · Philadelphia Inquirer ↗ · Sep 13

Jason Eaton DefendantHisham Awartani Victim; Brown University studentTahseen Aliahmad Victim; Trinity College studentKinnan Abdalhamid Victim; Haverford College studentJoshua O'Hara Public defender for EatonSally Adams Prosecutor; Chittenden County State's Attorney's Office

Vermont man on trial for 2023 shooting of three Palestinian students; claims CIA ordered attack
Boston Globe

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 7 pieces in 4h at Sep 14, 5 PM; 11 pieces over 14 days (8 articles · 3 posts) Sep 9, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 9, 9 PM — quietSep 10, 1 AM — quietSep 10, 5 AM — quietSep 10, 9 AM — quietSep 10, 1 PM — quietSep 10, 5 PM — quietSep 10, 9 PM — quietSep 11, 1 AM — quietSep 11, 5 AM — quietSep 11, 9 AM — quietSep 11, 1 PM — quietSep 11, 5 PM — quietSep 11, 9 PM — quietSep 12, 1 AM — quietSep 12, 5 AM — quietSep 12, 9 AM — quietSep 12, 1 PM — quietSep 12, 5 PM — quietSep 12, 9 PM — quietSep 13, 1 AM — quietSep 13, 5 AM — quietSep 13, 9 AM — quietSep 13, 1 PM — quietSep 13, 5 PM — quietSep 13, 9 PM — quietSep 14, 1 AM — quietSep 14, 5 AM — quietSep 14, 9 AM — quietSep 14, 1 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Sep 14, 5 PM — 7 pieces · 5 articles · 2 posts — Google News 3, Newswires 2, Mastodon 1, +1 moreSep 14, 9 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 15, 1 AM — quietSep 15, 5 AM — quietSep 15, 9 AM — quietSep 15, 1 PM — quietSep 15, 5 PM — quietSep 15, 9 PM — quietSep 16, 1 AM — quietSep 16, 5 AM — quietSep 16, 9 AM — quietSep 16, 1 PM — quietSep 16, 5 PM — quietSep 16, 9 PM — quietSep 17, 1 AM — quietSep 17, 5 AM — quietSep 17, 9 AM — quietSep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 5 PM — quietSep 17, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 1 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quiet 1–2
Sep 10Sep 12Sep 14Sep 16Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22now · 12:59 AM ET
  1. 1

    Prosecutor argues Eaton intended to kill, does not meet insanity standard

    Prosecutor Sally Adams told jurors that a state psychiatrist concluded Eaton did not have a mental disease or defect, intended to kill the men, was not legally justified, and does not meet the legal test of insanity. Authorities found three shotguns and a Ruger .380-caliber handgun (the weapon used) in Eaton's apartment; the gun was purchased seven months before the shooting.

    “I heard some gunshots and I was on the ground…I was playing dead…”
    — Tahseen Aliahmad, Shooting victim; Trinity College student · source
  2. background

    Defense presents insanity claim; Eaton says CIA and Mossad ordered him via radio — In opening statements, public defender Josh O'Hara argued Eaton was suffering from a delusional, psychotic disorder after losing his job at a credit union two weeks before the shooting. O'Hara said Eaton believed he was hearing messages from the CIA and possibly Israeli intelligence while listening to NPR, initially positive but later ordering him to 'go out and shoot somebody.' Eaton claimed God was commanding him to protect his Jewish neighbors.

  3. 2

    Trial begins; all three victims testify about the shooting

    Jury selection began Thursday, and the trial opened Monday with surprising testimony from all three victims, who had been uncertain whether they could attend. Awartani testified from a wheelchair, describing the shooting; Aliahmad recounted lying on the ground and 'playing dead' after being shot in the chest; Abdalhamid described running, jumping a fence, and not realizing he'd been shot until later.

    1. 7 outlets Palestinian students injured in 2023 Vermont shooting make surprise appearance as trial begins

      first by Boston Globe, 9d ago · also Vermont Public, The Boston Globe, Mercury News, AP News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Times of Israel

      4 more headlines
  4. background

    Prosecutors decline hate crime charges; no sufficient evidence found — About a year after the shooting, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George said authorities had not found sufficient evidence to charge Eaton with a hate crime enhancement. A local investigation found Eaton had posted confusing and contradictory content online, including some posts appearing to sympathize with Palestinians and Hamas.

  5. background

    Burlington police chief says shooting appears hate-motivated — Jon Murad, Burlington's police chief, stated the day after the shooting that the incident appeared to be hate-motivated, given the timing and context.

  6. background

    Attorney General Garland suggests shooting could be hate crime tied to Middle East tensions — Merrick Garland, then serving as US attorney general, suggested the shooting could be a hate crime tied to the Israel-Hamas war, noting 'a sharp rise in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities' in recent weeks.

  7. background

    Law enforcement finds firearms in Eaton's apartment; he says 'I've been waiting for you' — When authorities knocked on Eaton's door the day after the shooting, he said something to the effect of, 'I've been waiting for you.' Investigators found several firearms and ammunition matching casings found at the scene.

  8. background

    Man shoots three Palestinian students on Burlington street — Jason Eaton, 51, fired at three Palestinian college students—Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, all 20—as they walked near the University of Vermont campus just after Thanksgiving. All three were injured; Awartani was paralyzed from the chest down.